2of 2Florida guard Egor Koulechov (4) puts up a shot against Texas A&M forward Robert Williams (44) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, in College Station, Texas. Florida won, 83-66.Photo: Sam Craft /Associated Press

COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M star forward Robert Williams’ New Year’s resolution has nothing to do with eating better (A&M’s Slocum dining hall takes care of that) or exercising more (playing basketball does the trick).

It’s all about accountability.

“Practice what you preach, I guess you could say,” Williams said this week of holding both himself and his teammates accountable moving forward. “I can’t get on them if I’m doing the wrong things, too.”

Williams, a potential NBA draft lottery selection this summer, is enduring a bumpy sophomore season, based on doing the wrong thing early on and then experiencing a couple of things beyond his control.

He missed the first three games of the season, including an exhibition, because of suspension for an undisclosed violation of university policy. He apologized and promised to be better.

What’s happened since has been beyond his accountability. He missed a couple of mid-December nonconference contests because of a concussion, and has only recently started to return to form. With LSU from his home state of Louisiana scheduled to visit Reed Arena at 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Williams has missed the last two practices because of sickness.

“He needs to be around for at least a week in a row to practice,” said A&M coach Billy Kennedy,who expects Williams play against LSU. “With the concussion and suspension and (sickness), he just hasn’t been able to develop a rhythm.”

Now would be a good time to start for the 11th-ranked Aggies, considering they have lost their first two SEC games by a combined 39 points to Alabama and Florida following an 11-1 nonconference start. Less than a week ago they had matched their highest national ranking at No. 5, but are in danger of dropping out of the top 25 should they endure another blowout home loss on Saturday.

The Aggies started league play a week ago at Alabama before losing to the Gators in Reed Arena. They also should have big guard D.J. Hogg back in the lineup for the first time in league play on Saturday. He has served a three-game suspension for another undisclosed violation of a university rule. It was his second suspension of the season.

“It’s important to get back on track when we’re at home,” Kennedy said. “It’s a home game, more than anything, and our next opponent isn’t real easy.”

And neither is the opponent after that. After A&M plays two of its first three SEC games in College Station, the Aggies are on the road next week at No. 17 Kentucky and No. 23 Tennessee. A&M is in danger of starting SEC play 0-5 if the it doesn’t beat LSU.

“Everyone has got to be locked in all of the time,” said A&M forward Tyler Davis, the team’s leader, of trying to bust the early slump.

Further hampering A&M is the continued absence of starting guards Admon Gilder and Duane Wilson, both likely out against LSU with knee injuries. Gilder has missed the last four games and Wilson missed the Florida game after hurting his knee a week ago at Alabama. Kennedy is hopeful both will return soon.

“I want them to be 100 percent in practice, and we haven’t had that yet,” said Kennedy, adding that Wilson has been fitted for a brace. “We’ve got 17 games left in the regular season to play — and that’s a lot of games. As bad as I want to have them back — at least one of them back — we need to be thinking longer term, because it’s a long season.”

The Aggies (11-3, 0-2) have made the NCAA Tournament once in Kennedy’s six prior seasons. In 2016, they started SEC play 7-0 and wound up in the Sweet 16. They have an uphill climb from here just to make the NCAA postseason based on their recent history, but they also have one of the most talented rosters in the nation.

“You’re talking about juniors and seniors and guys who are shot makers,” Kennedy said of the many missing pieces. “It’s definitely made it more difficult to practice and develop chemistry.”

Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle and chron.com covering Texas A&M athletics. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball.

Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. He’s a four-time winner of APSE National Top 10 writing awards for the San Antonio Express-News, including a second-place finish for breaking the Dennis Franchione “secret newsletter” scandal in 2007.

His coverage of Texas A&M’s move to the SEC from the Big 12 also netted a third-place finish nationally in 2012. Brent met his wife, KBTX-TV news anchor Crystal Galny, in the Dixie Chicken before an A&M-Texas Tech football game in 2002, and the couple has three children: Will, Zoe and Brady.